Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette The new location of the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is seen on Bridge Street in Houghton at the end of its open house Thursday.

HOUGHTON — After 40 years, the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship finally has a space of its own.

The church held an open house Thursday night at its new location on Bridge Street in Houghton. Up to this point, it had always rented space, said board president Lora Repp. That started with a cramped space in a room at the Michigan Technological University Nursery School. Most recently, they held services at BHK Child Development, and office space from the Episcopal Church.

“We thought we’ll be able to serve the community better, be more visible to the community, and we have a space to share now, so people can come and have meetings here,” Repp said. “So we’re hoping it’ll make us much more part of the community.”

The KUUF held its first service in the building at the start of July, after working on it since last fall. They contracted out for the furnace and the drywall, Repp said; volunteers did the rest.

The building had last been used by the Chinese Christian Fellowship, and before that a boat dealership. It bears the architectural mark of those days in the wide room the church uses for its Sunday services. It’s also kept some more literal marks: one former dealership worker who talked to Repp pointed out scuff marks on the door frame he’d left while bringing in a big boat.

“That’s the best story of the evening,” she said. “So it has a history.”

The congregation is about 80 people, drawing an average of 45 to 50 for Sunday services, Repp said.

“Now that we have our new building, people are coming more,” she said.

Several members also attend services virtually over Zoom, which the KUUF started offering during the pandemic.

With the new space, the church also hopes to hold community forums on social justice issues. They already hold some adult classes. Its first special service, a memorial, will happen in November.

A local Cub Scout troop uses the space for meetings; they also plan to add a Brownie group, Repp said.

“This fellowship, it’s all about caring for the environment and caring for each other,” Repp said.

Thursday’s open house was a success, Repp said. People who’d been driving up Bridge Street for the past few months wondering about the project got to learn more. And they also met people from even closer by.

“We had a nice turnout from the neighborhood, because we’re their new neighbor, right?” Repp said. “And that’s who this was really aimed at. And they came and they stayed and we got to know them, and they know us now, too.”